A new Nanos poll shows that even in British Columbia, most Canadians now accept the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion – providing the cost does not rise too high. While 43% want to stop the oil and gas sectors expansion to reduce emissions; 47% believe we need the jobs. (These numbers are now 41.8% and 48.1%, respectively, in BC.) However this support becomes opposition when respondents were asked if the government should borrow money to complete the project.
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The Big Spill
(The second in a series of articles from the 2019 Campbell River Emergency Preparedness Trade Show.)
By Roy L Hales
I was immediately drawn to Western Canada Marine Spill Response Corporation (WCMRC) booth. This company founded in 1976 and cleans about 20 spills a year. Most of these are relatively small, like the incident in Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island. I was more interested in the fact they cleaned up the big spill in Burnaby, during 2007 – which gives us some insight into what a major bitumen spill on the West Coast of British Columbia might look like.
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Mark De Bruijn, Green Candidate for Powell River – North Island
By Roy L Hales
In the first of my interviews with the candidates, I visited the home of Mark de Bruijn. Cortes Islanders may remember him as a former principal of our elementary school; He has also worked as a science teacher, college lecturer and former biologist for Canada’s Department of Fisheries. Now Mark de Bruijn is the Green Party of Canada’s candidate for Powell River-North Island.
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NDP Candidate Rachel Blaney
A dedicated YouTube channel testifies to some of the questions she raised during Question Period in the House of Commons. Prior to becoming our member of parliament in 2015, Rachel was the Executive Director of Campbell River’s Immigrant Welcome Centre. Her husband, Derek Blaney, is a former Chief and council member of the Homalco First Nation. In the second of my interviews with the candidates, I skyped with NDP candidate Rachel Blaney.
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Greens & Conservatives Dividing Vancouver Island
By Roy L Hales
An NDP staffer recently pointed out that the national poll projections for our riding are mostly algorithms, based on national numbers with very little if any information actually coming from Powell River – North Island. “The only poll that matters is on election day.” I can’t help but wonder what he would have said if 338Canada had projected the NDP leading. 338Canada’s creator, astrophysicist Philippe J. Fournier, accurately picked the winners in 90% of Quebec’s and Ontario’s ridings during their 2018 provincial elections. That’s pretty impressive when you consider how much can change in a day. As of September 16, 2019, Fournier’s projections show the Greens & Conservatives dividing Vancouver Island.
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